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A54
sports
Guardian www.guardian.co.tt Tuesday, October 6, 2015
VINODE MAMCHAN
Despite not qualifying for the 2017
Champions Trophy tournament in Eng-
land, the West Indies Cricket Board will
benefit financially.
The regional team was ninth in the ICC
ODI rankings at the cut off period September
30, 2015 and missed qualification for the
tournament as only the top eight teams
earned the right to compete.
With the WICB in financial problem, fail-
ure to qualify for the tournament was seen
as another avenue where funds dried up.
However, since the WICB is a full member
of the ICC, the Board is guaranteed a share
in the finances from the tournament. The
ICC has a share allocation system for full
members and Associate members, even if
their teams do not participate.
Chief executive officer (CEO) of the
WICB, Michael Muirhead is expected to fly
to Dubai for the ICC s CEO meeting, where
CEOs from member countries will be
attending to get information concerning the
T20 World Cup in India and the 2017 Cham-
pions Trophy in England.
Muirhead is expected to have a better
idea of what the WICB can expect to gen-
erate from those two events.
The WICB got US$16M from the last
Champions Trophy in England two years
ago. They will be expecting a similar or even
greater amount from the 2017 event, as tel-
evision rights which is the biggest money
spinner in these events have been more
lucrative than before.
Also the WICB will benefit from the entire
amount given to them because there would
be no West Indies team at the event for the
players to have a share of the money. This
money is expected to go towards develop-
ment programmes that the WICB is cur-
rently undertaking.
The WICB found themselves in a less
than favourable financial position because
of the number of non-profitable tours they
had to host under the Future Tours Pro-
gramme (FTP). Over the next two years the
board is expected to do much better finan-
cially as in addition to these two world
events, to cash in from, they would also
have some lucrative home series. India is
due to come to the Caribbean next year,
once the off-field issues over the aborted
tour are solved. The Indian team brings the
most revenue when they are hosted and the
board will be looking forward to this. After
the Indian series there will be two major
cricket countries coming to the Caribbean
and they are Australia and South Africa.
England-based Soca Warriors defender
Gavin Hoyte was among the group of over-
seas-based players to link up with the T&T
squad in Panama on Sunday.
The 25-year-old Hoyte who plies his trade
with Barnet FC after being on the Arsenal
player list until 2011, has only featured twice
for the Soca Warriors, both last year, against
Argentina and Iran in two friendly interna-
tionals.
Since then he has not suited up for the
Stephen Hart-coached Soca Warriors and
missed the 3-3 draw with Mexico last month
in Utah after a mix-up in communication.
After being named in the T&T team for
the match, Hoyte was asked by his club to
miss the friendly just a day before his depar-
ture from London, and speaking in Panama
yesterday he said he felt confident that there
will not be such an occurrence again.
"I m quite excited to be back. It s been
more than a year now since I ve played for
T&T. I m very relieved. I don t think this will
happen again as obviously there was a bit of
a mix up in communication between my
manager and the coach but hopefully now
it s all resolved and I m happy to be here.
I ve spoken to my manager and he s very
happy. I think he now knows more of what s
going on and he s happy for me to go and
play.
"I ve been following the team and it s good
to be back and hopefully I can get back into
the mix," the former Arsenal and England
youth international added.
Defender Yohance Marshall who is attached
to Mexican club Murcielagos believes the two
friendlies are key to the preparations for the
November 2018 World Cup qualifiers, away
to Guatemala on November 13 and four days
later at home to USA (November 17).
"I think it s very important to come togeth-
er as a group again especially with one game
being in Central America and then the other
back in T&T. There are a couple new faces
and it s good for us to get that unity and
chemistry going. We know the kind of oppo-
sition Panama is and they will present us
with a good test. The mentality of our prepa-
ration and hopefully the results will build the
confidence of the team heading into the two
qualifiers in November," Marshall said.
T&T captain Kenwyne Jones who cele-
brated his 31st birthday yesterday reflecting
on his assist to Stern John which helped T&T
to a 1-0 win over Panama to revive its World
Cup 2006 campaign said, "It s already ten
years since that game here against Panama.
"Time flies but it s great to be back and
on the verge of another qualifying campaign.
We re here to prepare for the two opening
matches and we ll take it one step at a time
with the hope of being sufficiently ready,"
Jones said.
Thursday s match will take place at the
Estadio Rommel Fernandez at 9:30pm (TT
time) and coach Hart was expected to have
his first session last night at the match venue
with his team, minus Sheldon Bateau, Aubrey
David, Jonathan Glenn and Radanfah Abu
Bakr who were expected in last night.
Thursday s match will be broadcasted live
on Flow channel 99.
NSOs say
budget shows
sport a priority
WALTER ALIBEY
Government s allocation to sports in yesterday s
national budget has been welcomed by a number
of National Sporting Organisations (NSOs).
Minister of Finance Colm Imbert delivered a $63
billion dollar budget at Tower D of the Waterfront
in the midst of severe financial depression caused
by the fallen oil and gas prices. However he revealed
that his government will implement programmes
and policies that will encourage all to take part in
sports as a recreation; implement policies to see the
emergence of more world champion athletes and
ensure they gain international recognition; foster
development of sports at schools and encourage
competition; establishment of facilities to meet world
standards; develop a sport brand for T&T and establish
a Sport Institute that will lead among others.
Among those embracing the sports allocation
were Olympic president Brian Lewis, cycling head
Robert Farrier and Dr Allen Sammy, executive member
of the T&T Cricket Board (TTCB) who all welcomed
the government s plan.
Farrier said the plan shows that government has
made sports a priority. He explained these initiatives
will lead to building of stronger communities and
the promotion of athletes to international world class
standards. "Policies in sports always tend to ensure
that there is integrity and fairness in the processes,"
Farrier said.
He is hoping his organization gets a whopping $12
million which he said is needed ahead of an Olympic
year. The TTCF in their last budget received $1.4
million which was 20 percent of the amount they
had applied for. According to Farrier his association
is aware that government cannot do everything for
NSOs but he said it is now critical for government
to assist in areas of marketing and strategic planning
which would help them achieve objectives and targets.
Lewis was happy to see the introduction of pro-
grammes at schools, saying this was started back in
2010 at the University of T&T (UTT) under the same
PNM government. "It is a major plus anytime you
improve the quality of educators in Physical Education
and the TTOC will support this fully," Lewis said.
He added there seems to be a focus on building
capacity in sports especially at a time when sacrifices
have to be made. In the face of a budget which was
pegged at US$40 per barrel instead of US$80 in pre-
vious years, Lewis said the time for limiting sports
must come to an end as he has always envisioned
sports making a great impact on the national economy
through sports tourism.
He explained also that sports will help with social
ills and is also a means of enhancing the human
resources in countries. "In spite of the economic
challenges we will not see sports go down as there
are so many areas to make a great impact on the
nation. In fact we at the TTOC still hold firm to TT
achieving 10 or more gold medals at the Rio Olympic
Games next year," Lewis said.
Dr Sammy said it is good that government has
not diverted from the focus on elite athletes and the
development of human resources as a whole.
"When a nation is in crisis the first area they sac-
rifice is sports, so I look forward to this not happening
over the five-year term," Sammy said.
COLOMBO---Experienced seamer Kemar
Roach believes the bowling department
will have to produce consistent perform-
ances if West Indies are to win their first
series on Sri Lankan soil.
West Indies have played nine Tests here
over the last 22 years without winning a
single one, but are hoping to change their
fortunes when they face the hosts in two
Tests, starting in Galle next week.
"It takes getting 20 wickets to win a Test
match [and] once we bowl well, I think we
have some pretty decent batsmen that can
get us over the line," Roach said here Tues-
day.
"But we have to bowl well and get 20
wickets, that should be our main focus going
into this series."
He added: "Reverse swing will definitely
be an option. Obviously the ball gets old
very quickly down here, it doesn t stay new
for very long so you have to start shining
on one side and obviously make that side
work for you.
"If you can reverse swing the ball and
bowl a fuller length, you should do pretty
well in Sri Lanka."
The last time West Indies were here five
years ago, all three Tests finished in stale-
mates. However, the 27-year-old Roach
emerged as leading wicket-taker for the
Windies with ten scalps at an average of
24.He explained that consistency and bowling
fuller lengths had been the key to his per-
formances back then, and said he was now
focussing on a repeat.
"That was a very good series for me. I
was in good form and I was peaking at that
time so obviously I got Man-of-the-Series.
Ittookalotofhardworkandalotofcon-
sistent bowling to obviously get results down
here," said Roach, who has taken 120 wickets
from 32 Tests.
"When you get on the park you have to
bowl with consistency. You have to bowl a
fuller length because it s an Asian country
still so your length is very important and
you have to be very patient and consistent.
"That s what I was working on in the
camp in Barbados and for the first couple
sessions down here in Sri Lanka."
The series represents Roach s third tour
of Sri Lanka and as a result, the right-armer
said he was not daunted by the stifling
humidity the squad had encountered in
recent days.
"I m getting used to the heat. I ve been
here a couple times and I know how it can
be so I m accustomed to it now and I m
trying to adapt because I ll be here for a
while."
West Indies first assignment will be a
three-day match against the Sri Lanka
Cricket Board President s XI starting Thurs-
day at the Sinhalese Sports Club. (CMC)
Champions Trophy $$ for WICB
...despite failure to qualify for tournament
Hoyte excited to join Soca Warriors
Tickets can be purchased at:
The Fan Club (Movietowne, Trincity and Gulf
City), Sports & Games, Kenny's Sport Shop,
Ramsingh's, www.islandetickets.com
Cost $200 (covered), $100 (uncovered).
Kick off time for the T&T vs Nicaragua: 7pm.
MORE INFO:
Gavin Hoyte...former Arsenal player who
has joined with the Soca Warriors.
Roach says bowlers will carry responsibility